Dear Reader – Let me tell you how I developed this writing style of having “abrupt endings”.

“TWIST IN THE TAIL”

WHY MY FICTION SHORT STORIES HAVE “ABRUPT ENDINGS”

Reminiscences of a Creative Writer

By

VIKRAM KARVE

A recent “fan” of my creative writing commented: “I like the way you end your stories suddenly with a “twist in the tail”...”

The young lady was being polite.

A “not-so-polite” reader said: “I don’t like the way you suddenly end your stories...”

Another more forthright reader commented on my blogs: “Your stories seem incomplete – as if you are thinking of writing a Part 2 or a sequel to the story...”

What all my 3 readers wanted to know is:

“Why do my stories have “abrupt endings”...?”

Here is the answer:

“Coup De Grâce” – WHY MY FICTION SHORT STORIES HAVE “ABRUPT” ENDINGS

If you are a writer – you will have your own individual writing style.

I too have my own signature style.

Many readers have commented that one aspect they do not like about my writing style is that my stories always have abrupt endings.

I agree.

I will make a conscious effort to correct this aspect.

Dear Reader – let me tell you how I developed this writing style of having abrupt endings.

MY EARLY WRITING DAYS

I started writing fiction short stories more than 25 years ago in the early 1990’s – when I lived on the beautiful natural environment of IAT Pune in the hills of Girinagar – a beautiful verdant green forest in the back of beyond below the mighty Sinhagad Fort and overlooking the placid blue waters of the Khadakwasla lake near Pune.

From Monday to Friday – during the daytime – I would be busy with my work.

But even on those working days – every morning and evening – I took long walks in the hills of Girinagar – thinking interesting thoughts – and by Friday – the plot for my next story would be ready in my mind.

Then – on Saturday morning – I would start writing the story.

Yes – I did all my creative writing on weekends.

I would write a short story every weekend in “long hand”– which my darling wife would then type on her portable typewriter during the week.

(Yes – those were the days of the pen and paper – when you actually wrote with your pen on paper – and later your story had to be typed on a typewriter in the prescribed format)

Then I would then send my “double-spaced neatly typed story” by snail-mail (by registered post) to magazines which published short fiction like Citadel – a magazine published monthly from Pune for which I was a regular fiction writer – or to the Indian Express for its Thursday literary magazine called Citizen – or to other magazines like Femina, Savvy, Debonair, Caravan, Women’s Era etc that carried fiction.

I preferred to have an atmosphere of solitude to write on weekends.

So – on every Saturday morning – I would drop my wife and children at the Khadakwasla bus stop – and – my wife and kids would be off to spend the weekend in Pune City with their grannies.

Then – in my glorious solitude – I would to start writing.

WEEKEND WRITING

Yes – the moment my weekend began – on Saturday morning – in my glorious solitude – I would to start writing my story – which was germinating, evolving and perambulating in my mind during the week.

I love writing – so once I start writing – I transcend into a state of timelessness.

I would write the entire Saturday and Sunday.

Time would pass off in a jiffy – as I would be lost to the world – in a state of blissful timelessness.

Suddenly – I would hear the shrill ring of the phone.

And suddenly – I would realize that my two days of “creative bliss” were over.

It was already Sunday evening – and my wife was calling to tell me she was starting from Pune – and they all would be reaching Khadakwasla bus stop in an hour.

(The Bus Journey from Pune to Khadakwasla took one hour)

The moment this dreaded phone call came, for me – panic would set in.

Now – I had just one hour left to finish my story.

(I had to complete the story I was writing otherwise it would spill over to the next weekend – and I did not want to breach my self-imposed target of “one story per week”).

Therefore – I had no choice but to finish off the story with an abrupt ending – coup de grace...!!!

That is why my stories always have “abrupt endings”.

BLOGGING – DO MY BLOG POSTS HAVE “ABRUPT ENDINGS”

Maybe this style of writing “abrupt endings” developed into a habit – and old habits die hard.

I will have to change my writing style.

I will try my best to see that my stories have more unhurried, relaxed, satisfying, happy endings that leave a pleasant smooth aftertaste.

But how can I do this...?

Nowadays – after retirement – I blog.

And – I try to write at least a blog a day.

Yes – I write one blog post per day.

I get up early and go for a long morning walk which ends in the park on the banks of the Mula River in Wakad near Pune.

During my morning walk I think interesting thoughts – about what I am going to write on that day.

Then – I start writing around 9 AM in the morning (an hour after my wife goes to work).

I love writing so much that I lose all sense of time – and sometimes – I do not even have lunch.

Suddenly – I realise that it is 4 PM – and – I know that my wife would be arriving in a half an hour.

Since I am a dedicated “Househusband” – I am required to welcome my “Breadwinner” Wife with a cup of Tea – the moment she arrives home from work.

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

About Me

A creative person with a zest for
life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated
at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School
Pune, Vikram has published two books:COCKTAILa collection of fiction short stories about relationships
(2011) andAPPETITE FOR A STROLLa
book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel, writing short fiction and compiling his memoirs. An avid
blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative
non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, books, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories, self help and art of living essays in magazines and journals and published a number of professional research papers and reviews and edited in-house magazines and journals for many years, before the advent
of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to
creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse -
his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative
thoughts.